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–72) had it whitewashed, which is where the name comes from. The spiral staircase is the only way up, and here are the Armouries, with a collection of arms and armor. Across the moat, Traitors’ Gate lies to the right. Opposite Traitors’ Gate is the former Garden Tower, better known since about 1570 as the Bloody Tower. Its name comes from one of the most famous unsolved murders in history, the saga of the “little princes in the Tower.” In 1483 the uncrowned boy king, Edward V, and his brother Richard were left here by their uncle, Richard of Gloucester, after the death of their father, Edward IV. They were never seen again; Gloucester was crowned Richard III, and in 1674 two little skeletons were found under the stairs to the White Tower, which are thought to be theirs.

The most famous exhibits are the Crown Jewels, in the Jewel House, Waterloo Barracks. This is the Tower’s biggest draw, perfect for playing pick-your-favorite-crown from the wrong side of bulletproof glass. Not only are these crowns, staffs, and orbs encrusted with heavy-duty gems, they are invested with the authority of monarchical power in England, dating back to the 1300s. Included is the famous Koh-i-noor, or “Mountain of Light.” The legendary diamond, which was supposed to bring luck to women, came from India, and was given to Queen Elizabeth. You can see it, in cut-down shape, in the late Queen Mother’s Crown. The Crown Jewels used to be housed in Martin Tower, which now hosts an exhibit that explains the art of fashioning royal headwear and includes 12,314 cut and uncut diamonds.

The little Chapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincula is the second church on the site, and it’s the final resting place of six beheaded Tudor bodies. Visitors are welcome for services and can also enter after 4:30 pm daily.

Evocative Beauchamp Tower served as a jail for upper-class miscreants. Latin graffiti about Lady Jane Grey, who was also a prisoner here, can be glimpsed on the walls.

For free tickets to the 700-year-old Ceremony of the Keys (locking of main gates, nightly between 9:30 and 10), write several months in advance; check the tower Web site for details. | H. M. Tower of London, Tower Hill, The City | EC3N | 0844/482–7777 | www.hrp.org.uk | £18.70 | Mar.–Oct., Tues.–Sat. 9–5:30, Sun. and Mon. 10–5:30; last admission at 5. Nov.–Feb., Tues.–Sat. 9–4:30, Sun. and Mon. 10–4:30; last admission at 4 | Tower Hill.

WORTH NOTING

Bank of England.

Known for the past couple of centuries as “the Old Lady of Threadneedle Street,” after the name appeared in a caption to a political cartoon (which can be seen in the museum), the country’s top vault, which has been central to the British economy since 1694, manages the national debt and the foreign exchange reserves, issues banknotes, sets interest rates, looks after England’s gold, and regulates the country’s banking system. Sir John Soane designed the neoclassical hulk in 1788, wrapping it in windowless walls, which are all that survives of his original building. The bank’s history is traced in the Bank of England Museum (entrance is around the corner on Bartholomew Lane). Here, the museum comes to life with the interactive exhibits that chart the bank’s more recent history, including the chance to try your hand at controlling inflation, but most visitors still make a beeline for the solid-gold bar that can be stroked and held in the central trading hall (but before you get any ideas, there’s security everywhere). | Threadneedle St., The City | EC2R 8AH | 020/7601–5545 | www.bankofengland.co.uk | Free | Weekdays and Lord Mayor’s Show day (2nd Sat. in Nov.) 10–5 | Bank, Monument.

Barbican Centre.

With two theaters; the London Symphony Orchestra and its auditorium; the Guildhall School of Music and Drama; a major art gallery for touring and its own special exhibitions; two cinemas; a convention center; an upscale restaurant, cafés, terraces with fountains, and literary bookshops; and living space in some of the most desirable tower blocks in town, the Barbican is an enormous 1980s concrete maze that Londoners either love or